A Town with Beautiful Gardens in its DNA

Alongside this stunning architecture, the town boasts magnificent gardens and beautiful waterways that reflect the local pride in this beautiful Victorian spa town. There is also a rich history of floral display which has earned the town three consecutive Gold medals in the Heart of England in Bloom competition and a historic flower festival dating back to the 1950’s which we hope to revive.

From hiring a boat on the River Leam to following a heritage trail that encompasses the quirky tale of the Elephant Walk, or promenading amongst the immaculate Grade II listed, historic Jephson Gardens with its subtropical glasshouse, Royal Leamington Spa offers a medley of edifying experiences that will be reflected in the RHS Chelsea exhibit.

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Please give your support to help get Royal Leamington Spa to RHS Chelsea in 2014.

Parks and Gardens

Jephson Gardens

Newbold Comyn

Pump Room Gardens

Victoria Park

Jephson Gardens

First laid out in 1831 as informal riverside walks in Leamington, the original Newbold Gardens were developed as more formal pleasure grounds after 1846 in honour of Dr Henry Jephson, who had promoted the town as a spa. The Jephson Gardens gained renown for their entertainments, military bands, promenading, croquet and tennis, fountains, illuminations, trees and flowers. They are listed as Grade II on the English Heritage register of historic parks and gardens.

Newbold Comyn

This extensive park, over 120 hectares (300 acres), was laid out in the 1970’s. Formerly Newbold Comyn Farm, it was acquired by Leamington Corporation in 1943. The northern half is an 18-hole pay-and-play golf course; the southern half provides for recreation, sport and wildlife. The old farmhouse is now a pub, the Newbold Comyn Arms. Newbold Comyn Leisure Centre has a 33 metre swimming pool, children’s fun pool, Pyramids fitness suite, café and other facilities.

Pump Room Gardens

Located in the heart of Leamington Spa, The Pump Rooms Gardens were laid out between 1844 and 1903 and are designated as Grade II on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Approx 5.5 acres in size, the gardens are now maintained by Warwick District Council as a valuable area of open space, taking on the role of the “village green” for informal recreation and enjoyment of local people and visitors to the town. A wide and divers range of community activities take place in the gardens throughout the year including fun fairs, the annual Peace Festival and the popular Food and Drink Festival each September.
The Gardens contain the historic features of the bandstand, original footpath layout, pedestrian bridge over the River Leam and the recently-restored arches that form the Linden Walk.

Victoria Park

Victoria Park was opened to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1899 as part of the Corporation’s plan to provide more recreation space for the growing town, especially its children. Throughout the 19th century it was Leamington’s village green, the venue for galas, military parades, flower shows, circuses and cricket. The riverside path, New River Walk, had been laid out in the early 1860s along the south bank of the River Leam, its winding course smoothed out and widened to speed the flow of its (then) polluted water. The borough engineer, William de Normanville, skilfully created the park’s ovoid central space from an odd-shaped site – the perimeter drive was exactly half a mile in length for running. Victoria Park has hosted many events, notably the Royal Show, festivities for the coronation of King George VI and, in 1996, Women’s World Bowls, which honoured Leamington by returning in 2004.